Tag: Leck Fell

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

Notts Pot – 15th February 2015

Notts Pot: Andy G, Scott, Jason

Meeting in Cowan Bridge car park, Andy revealed the 5 tackle sacks that would be needed to bottom Notts Pot.  Rapidly calculating that this worked out at over 1.6 sacks each, we soon decided that a leisurely trip to the streamway was in order, so we could leave two of them behind.

When it came to getting changed, Andy had second thoughts, no doubt wanting to put all his rope-bagging time to good use, but I soon talked him out of such reckless bravado.  I was already glad just walking up the hill to the pot!  On the way, we chanced upon an attractive bird (no, a fieldfare actually) feigning injury to lead us astray, then the perfect, but dead, body of her mate a few steps on.  Later, on our return, a small pile of feathers was all that was left – nature red in tooth etc….

The entrance drop was quickly rigged, although it almost looks short enough to do without a rope.  Almost.  Then a short crawl leads to a little climb down, described as “awkward”.  Andy had therefore brought a rope, but it was no more than a brief slither – what was the fuss ?  A nice section of typical meandering rift leads to the short pitch down into the Main Chamber.  From here, there are all kinds of choices for the route onwards.  We’d opted for the Centre Route.  A short rebelay gave a fine free hang without needing a long deviation recommended by the guide – a benefit of the recent dry weather, no doubt.  The second part of the pitch follows immediately, starting with a memorable belay round a big rock column.  This is also split into several sections.  While waiting for Andy on the last section, Scott and I heard voices from another party, but did not see them.

Then, to our consternation, Andy called up to say he’d taken a wrong turn.  Where could we have gone astray ?  But it turned out, he’d just descended the ‘wrong’ side of a big rock flake half-way down.  He had reached the streamway – but just on the ‘wrong’ side of a duck, which no-one relished tackling.  Shortly after, we all reached the streamway and had a quick look further along the high, narrow rift.  This would have been the way on, had we brought the rest of the rope and climbed up, but we were happy to turn back from here.

Andy led back up with Scott and I derigging.  Interestingly, we heard the other party’s voices again – this time from below – it showed how riddled the pot is with different vertical routes, and sound carries from one to the other confusingly.  The return trip was uneventful, apart from the “awkward” climb near the entrance, which I found fully justified its description – despite having seen Scott ascend effortlessly in front of me, I somehow managed to find a far less elegant route.

We all agreed it had been a satisfying trip of around 4 hours, and were happy to leave the full descent to another day with a bigger party of porters!

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

Cupcake to Committee Pot – 28th October 2012

The Cupcake – Committee Pot: Richard M, Tim D, Jason

I’d been looking forward to this trip: the combination of one of the newer discoveries in the Three Counties system, some nice pretties and a through trip was enticing.  But I knew my companions would take some keeping up with, they being well-known members of the species Homo Ferrous Troglodytes.

According to Richard’s informant, all ropes were in place except for the short entrance pitch, which was a bonus, so we were quickly at the bottom and able to see The Cupcake in all its glory

– along with many other pristine stal formations and a host of long straws.  Care has to be taken to avoid these on the next little pitch, and more fine formations follow.  The following pitch is aptly named “Mud” and is a portent of things to come, but the going is still easy although a generous coating of mud does nothing for one’s SRT kit.  Then there’s an upward pitch, short but made longer by having to wipe gobs of gloop off the rope at each prussik step.  The next section of passageway is reasonably roomy but requires great care to avoid breaking or clarting-up some more nice formations.  It’s hard not to see this section deteriorating with more visitors.

From here the trip showed its less agreeable side; crawls in sharp hardcore, then mud, then some tight bits before we came to Bendall’s Dilemma.  We had understood this to be a hard squeeze, but we passed it with only a little thrutching and cursing.  We were rewarded by emerging into the fine large chamber of Hubert Carstairs II.  Following on into Hubert Carstairs I,we were presented by a choice of ascending ropes.  Richard took the right-hand one and after some doubtful mutterings, Tim investigated that on the left.  I thought it important for someone to stay in the middle to relay messages (and avoid unnecessary climbing).  After a while, Richard located a third rope, much shorter than the other two, which was the way on.  There swiftly followed another short ascent in a rift.  Short, but tight and awkward, bloody awkward – at least to me.  Richard cheerfully said “you got your money’s worth out of that one!”

Not long afterwards is the “Inverse Superman”squeeze, a U-bend followed by a constriction with a lump of rock cunningly sited at chest level.  A curious balletic episode ensued.  Richard goes first, passing through like an eel.  Jason makes a feeble and unsuccessful attempt to remove his SRT kit, attempts the squeeze, jams his croll against the lump, retreats, advances, jams and retreats again.  Tim reaches over and manages to divest Jason of his harness.  Jason advances – and passes!  Two sets of SRT kit and a helmet are passed forward. Tim advances, jams and retreats twice, then calls for Richard to push from behind.  Jason lies down, Richard crawls back over him.  Somehow his mere presence encourages Tim to a final, successful push. Then Richard crawls over Tim and back through the squeeze to retrieve Tim’s descender which had parted company from him in the fun.

After that, I’d like to say it was all plain sailing.  I’d like to, but it was actually a long grim crawl.  Not without variety though; sideways thrutching, flat-out crawling in mud, flat-out crawling in water.  And all the way pushing a ball of tangled straps and mud that was the SRT kit.  Eventually – eventually – we reached the top of the pitches at the top of Count Lazlo Stroganoff’s Aven.  At least one could sit up, just, though I found untangling my kit and putting it on in that position took so long that by the time I got to the bottom Tim was considering mounting a rescue.  On the last couple of pitch sections, the noise of rushing water became more noticeable.  Could this be the Notts II streamway ?  It could – it was.  Hallelujah!

Richard had already headed out to derig, so we were faced with the quandary of which way to go.  Knowing the inlet (Sir Digby Spode’s) was between the exit and Curry Inlet, it should have been obvious to head downstream.  But by this time, I was beyond rational thought, so we headed upstream for a bit against quite a sporting current (which cleaned up the gear a bit at least) before Tim decided we’d gone wrong.  After rather more streamway than we’d been expecting, we found the familiar passage and headed out for the jumble of scaffolding, ladders and breeze blocks – and daylight.

I was quite surprised, having felt the trip to have gone so long I was expecting darkness, but it was only 4:15.

So, a trip I’d thoroughly recommend to anyone – as long as I don’t have to come with them!

PS – If, like me, you’ve wondered at the origins of the colourful names of the various inlets and chambers of Notts II, you can find some clues here: http://loveandliberty.blogspot.co.uk/2007/03/rogue-male-in-trap.html

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

Lost Johns – 22nd July 2012

Lost John’s (or Johns?  Or Johns’ ?) cave.  John F, Andy G, Tim D, Ken W, Jason

The advertised trip (Boxhead to Death’s Head exchange) had mysteriously failed to generate a quorum, so the decision was taken to do something less demanding.  Tim and Ken apparently had more important things to do in the afternoon, so Tim shot off to rig down to Centipede, the rest of us following in a more leisurely fashion.  Having got to the bottom of Centipede, he and Ken did a smart turn-round leaving the rest of us to proceed to the streamway.

This went straightforwardly enough, water levels being surprisingly low given the recent ‘Summer’, although Battleaxe traverse seemed to have even fewer footholds than usual.

Time was not pressing, so we had a look upstream (until it got too small) and downstream (until it got too wet).  John announced he wasn’t going further downstream than welly-depth, but manfully continued until the canal section – he obviously had his big wellies on!

There were a variety of inlets, and muddy ropes hanging from the roof, all of which doubtless went somewhere interesting, but no-one was keen enough to take up the challenge.

The return trip was also uneventful, though slower due to reduced portering manpower.  I tried to persuade Andy of the merits of pantins (I’m a recent convert), but after faffing for a few moments getting it off the rope at the head of Candle, I don’t think he was convinced.   Anyway, we made fair time and were rewarded with the smell of warm grass about 4:30.

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

Notts II – 25th August 2010

Notts II – Tom Groome, Helen, Jack F, Pete (his neighbour), Jason

Three of the party hadn’t done this trip before, so it was a good chance to show off a cave which must have one of the highest prettiness to accessibility ratios in the Dales.

At the roadside a chap was waiting for his mates to go on a capping expedition to Bruno Kranski’s.  Apparently, a connection to Lost John’s has been smoke-tested and there is only 10m to go.  A good through trip is in prospect, but may be some time off due to the engineering required to make the connection safe.

Having descended the artificial entrance (declared ‘awesome’ by the youths), we quickly got to the streamway and turned left for the downstream sump (by way of leaving the best bits to last).  I had never gone this far before, and most uninviting it looked !

We then yomped upstream, resisting the temptation to explore the many inlets indicated by lengths of muddy rope and headed for the upstream sump.  On reaching the canal, Tom gamely waded on, up to his chest.  I climbed up and tried for the traverse, one simply hates getting wet.  Finding an inviting inlet (number 3?  Or 4?), Helen led the lads up there while I carried on traversing above the canal, not wishing Tom to feel abandoned.  I was pushing the envelope of my traversing skills, but managed to avoid a sudden plunge into the water and eventually caught up with Tom at the sump.

After a quick look at what must have been inlet 1 (which obviously went some distance – I hadn’t realised how big this cave was!) Tom and I returned to meet up with the others.  I waded – and swam – this time, the traverse was more trouble than it’s worth.  Pete was getting cold by this time (his choice of swimming shorts under a ripped boiler suit could have been bettered) so we had a quick look at inlet 5 to admire the fine formations, followed by a quick march out to warm up.

A good trip, well enjoyed by all.